Bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys, also referred to as metallic glass-forming alloys or bulk metallic glasses (“BMGs”) have been made in a variety of metallic systems. They are generally prepared by quenching from above the melting temperature to the ambient temperature. Generally, high cooling rates, such as on the order of 105° C./sec to 103° C./sec, are needed to achieve an amorphous structure. The lowest rate by which a BMG can be cooled to avoid crystallization, thereby achieving and maintaining the amorphous structure during cooling, is referred to as the critical cooling rate for the bulk alloy. In order to achieve a cooling rate higher than the critical cooling rate, heat has to be extracted from the sample. The thickness of articles made from metallic glass-forming alloys often becomes a limiting dimension, which is generally referred to as the critical (casting) thickness.
There exists a need for methods of constructing three-dimensional parts using bulk metallic glasses or metallic glass-forming alloys, as well as a need for BMG forming materials designed for use in such methods.